Simple RAW for 5e V: The Disadvantage Strikes Back

[Necrosnoop110]

Q239: Does Shadow Blade work with Booming Blade or Green Flame Blade since by RAW both BB and GFB have component requirements of "(a melee weapon worth at least 1 sp)" and the blade created by Shadow Blade has no listed price?

[No brains]

A239 It is unfortunately unclear. In a very permissive reading, yes.

Theoretically, a 2nd level spells have a cost of at least 10gp according to the end of the equipment section of the PHB. Thus, a Shadow Blade is a simple melee weapon that cost 10gp to make.

I feel there's technically support for the permissive reading, but I don't know of any official support for spell effects as material components.

[Ortho]

Q239: Does Shadow Blade work with Booming Blade or Green Flame Blade since by RAW both BB and GFB have component requirements of "(a melee weapon worth at least 1 sp)" and the blade created by Shadow Blade has no listed price?

R:239 RAW, the blade that Shadow Blade creates doesn't have any innate monetary value, so Booming Blade and Green-Flame Blade can't be used with it.

That being said, Crawford has ruled that he'd allow it.

A239 It is unfortunately unclear. In a very permissive reading, yes.

Theoretically, a 2nd level spells have a cost of at least 10gp according to the end of the equipment section of the PHB. Thus, a Shadow Blade is a simple melee weapon that cost 10gp to make.

Not necessarily - the price is ultimately up to the DM, and I will note that section is technically for the services of the spellcaster, not the price of the spell itself.

[Chronos]

Re 239:
Then again, all prices of anything are ultimately up to the DM. And 10 GP is the only price that that is specified in the books for a Shadow Blade.

[Gurgeh]

Q 240: How does an attack made with the Clockwork Amulet interact with advantage and disadvantage? Do you always just take the 10 and never roll any dice, or does its automatic 10 just replace one of the two d20s you would otherwise be expected to roll?

[Hairfish]

A 240:
Advantage or disadvantage only apply when you would make a roll. You forgo the roll when you use Clockwork Amulet, so advantage/disadvantage doesn't apply.

[da newt]

Q 241

If a PC is possessed by a ghost and attacks another PC who is under the effect of PROTECTION from G&E is the attack normal or at disadv?

(Who is attacking - the ghost or the PC being controlled)

[leogobsin]

Q 241

If a PC is possessed by a ghost and attacks another PC who is under the effect of PROTECTION from G&E is the attack normal or at disadv?

(Who is attacking - the ghost or the PC being controlled)

A 241

Possession says:

it retains its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and immunity to being charmed and frightened. It otherwise uses the possessed target's statistics

Creature type isn't listed as a thing it retains, so a person possessed by a ghost is still a humanoid (and thus not affected by Protection from Evil and Good).

[Arial Black]

A 240:
Advantage or disadvantage only apply when you would make a roll. You forgo the roll when you use Clockwork Amulet, so advantage/disadvantage doesn't apply.

If using a set amount (as opposed to rolling a d20) you get +5 or - 5.

[Ortho]

If using a set amount (as opposed to rolling a d20) you get +5 or - 5.

R:240
Where is this ruling coming from? The Clockwork Amulet doesn't mention anything about advantage/disadvantage.

[Arial Black]

R:240
Where is this ruling coming from? The Clockwork Amulet doesn't mention anything about advantage/disadvantage.

The question to which I was replying was this:-

"Q 240: How does an attack made with the Clockwork Amulet interact with advantage and disadvantage?"

The answer is part of the basic 5e mechanics, even if this particular mechanic isn't used that often. It's on p175 of the PHB under the title Passive Checks.

"If the character has advantage on the check, add 5. For disadvantage, subtract 5."

[Millstone85]

The question to which I was replying was this:-

"Q 240: How does an attack made with the Clockwork Amulet interact with advantage and disadvantage?"

The answer is part of the basic 5e mechanics, even if this particular mechanic isn't used that often. It's on p175 of the PHB under the title Passive Checks.

"If the character has advantage on the check, add 5. For disadvantage, subtract 5."

R240 The problem is that an attack roll is not an ability check, passive or otherwise.

[Arial Black]

R240 The problem is that an attack roll is not an ability check, passive or otherwise.

Agreed.

But if you DO have a passive attack roll or saving throw, what are you going to do? Make something up from nothing?

Or use how the rules actually deal with passive checks and use the same mechanic for passive rolls and throws?

[Millstone85]

Agreed.

But if you DO have a passive attack roll or saving throw, what are you going to do? Make something up from nothing?

Or use how the rules actually deal with passive checks and use the same mechanic for passive rolls and throws?

Thing is, we DON'T have a "passive attack roll". We have an item that, once a day, let's us take 10 on the die of an attack roll.

[da newt]

Q 242

If a creature is INCAPACITATED (An incapacitated creature can't take actions or reactions) then there is nothing prohibiting it from moving (as counter-intuitive as that is, it's RAW), but can a creature use legendary actions to move? (AKA - is a legendary action an action always / sometimes / never)

Can an INCAPACITATED creature take legendary actions? (AKA - is a legendary action an action)

Can an INCAPACITATED creature take bonus actions? (AKA - is a bonus action an action)

It seems obvious to me that legendary actions and bonus actions are actions, but it also seems obvious to me that reactions are actions and moving is an action so who knows what RAW is?

[Millstone85]

A242 No, an incapacitated creature can't do any of that.

Legendary actions are introduced page 11 of the MM, where it is stated that a creature "can't use them while incapacitated or otherwise unable to take actions".

Similarly, page 189 of the PHB says that "anything that deprives you of your ability to take actions also prevents you from taking a bonus action".

[Hairfish]

Q 243
Can an Echo Knight's echo be used as cover?
Interested in both RAW and RAI on this.

e: If so, moon druid could make an interesting multiclass

[TheCleverGuy]

Q244

As a 1st level Artificer with an INT score of 16, how many spells can I prepare each day? The general formula is INT mod + half class level (rounded down). Does that mean at level 1 I should round my level's contribution down to zero and only have 3 spells prepped based on my INT mod?

[leogobsin]

Q244

As a 1st level Artificer with an INT score of 16, how many spells can I prepare each day? The general formula is INT mod + half class level (rounded down). Does that mean at level 1 I should round my level's contribution down to zero and only have 3 spells prepped based on my INT mod?

A244 You're correct, it's 3 spells. It's: your Intelligence modifier (3) + half your artificer level, rounded down (1/2= 0.5, round down to 0).

[Marcloure]

Q245

Can you plane shift a friend's body? It's well known that a corpse isn't a willing creature, that it is actually an object, but the spell doesn't say anything about objects too. You surely don't planeshift naked though...

[Hairfish]

Q245

Can you plane shift a friend's body? It's well known that a corpse isn't a willing creature, that it is actually an object, but the spell doesn't say anything about objects too. You surely don't planeshift naked though...

A245Spells that say they only target creatures, only target creatures. However, anything they're carrying goes with them. So someone could carry the corpse.

[Sniper]

Q246

Does Blindsense, like that of a Rogue, remove the disadvantage of attacking an invisible creature, assuming that creature is within Blindsense range, or does it merely allow you to pinpoint them?

[Chronos]

A 246:

A rogue's blindsense only allows pinpointing creatures. To fully replace vision, you need the blindsight ability instead.

[Astral Avenger]

Q.247 Does the sorcerer's metamagic Quickened Spell allow you to cast multiple (two) non-cantrip spells in a round?

Potentially relevant details: I'm joining a campaign as a 4th level Wild-Magic Sorcerer. Could I Quicken a Chromatic Orb with sorc. points and then also cast Color Spray on the same turn? Or would I have to cast a cantrip as a normal action after using my bonus action for the quickened Chromatic Orb?

[Chronos]

A 247:

If you cast a spell using a bonus action, the only other spell you can cast that turn is a cantrip. This is true regardless of whether the bonus action spell is a bonus action by default (such as Misty Step or Hex), or if it's a bonus action as a result of the Quicken metamagic.

Note that you can still take any non-spellcasting action, as well. For instance, some spells let you modify them, or repeat their effect, by taking an action during their duration. This is still allowed with a bonus-action spell.

[Dalinar]

Q 248

This seems like a matter of some controversy, but can Booming Blade be used with a reach weapon at 10ft provided you have the Spell Sniper feat?

The range on BB as of Tasha's is "Self (5-ft radius)," AND the spell description mentions a target within 5 feet on top of that. Spell Sniper says "When you cast a spell that requires you to make an attack roll, that spell's range is doubled." As far as I can tell, it predates any use of the "Self (5-ft radius)" language, if that helps matters. Only clear guidance I can find on the subject is from before Tasha's; the pre-errata range was simply "5 ft". (And then a 21-page thread on another forum of people arguing about it with a tone far more certain than their arguments merited :P)

Apologies if this is a re-ask but I couldn't find it in this thread if so.

[Kuulvheysoon]

A 248

Silly as is may seem, RAW Spell Sniper still does nothing to booming blade. The spell's range is still self - the (5 foot radius) descriptor describes the area effected. See the other three notable Self (30 foot radius) spells from the PHB: aura of life, aura of purity and aura of vitality.

Crawford himself has mentioned that counterspell's effective range doesn't change with Distant Spell metamagic (which I also find stupid, but alas), and it has the same a simiilar specified range in the spell description that booming blade shares.

[OrbanSirgen]

Q249. 5e doesn't have flight maneuverability like previous editions, does it? For example, could any flying creature, regardless of flight speed, just hover in one spot indefinitely if they wanted? (Until they suffer from exhaustion, anyways...)

[Chronos]

A 252:

Some flying creatures have the ability to hover, while others don't. But the only consequence I can find is that if a non-hovering creature has its speed reduced to 0, it falls. I can find no rule in the PHB, DMG, or MM that sets minimum movement amounts. In other words, a non-hover flyer must have movement available, but does not necessarily need to use it.

[Feanor5]

Q 5

Does advantage on attack rolls (from a Ranger against an enemy who hasn't acted) extend to ability checks you make in place of an attack, specifically, the Strength (Athletics) checks to shove someone?

A5 clarification.

“Grappling/shoving are part of the Attack action (PH, 195)” and therefore within the scope of “attack rolls”.